De Beers group and the University of Calgary are working together for a special event to bring Indigenous girls into the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
This camp will be running from July 24th to the 28th, and will the fourth one held by De Beers since 2018 and the first in partnership with UCalgary. Nine girls between the age of 11 and 15 and a caregiver accompanying each participant from five Indigenous groups will take part. The participants live in Yellowknife, Hay River, Behchoko and Deline.
All costs associated with participating in the camp are being covered by De Beers and the university, including transportation, accommodation, meals and activities, with additional transportation provided by Summit Air.
While at the camp, the participants will take part in a range of activities over three-and-a-half days, including an IndigeSTEAM Robot PowWow, a tour of the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, a class about the mathematics behind Origami, and a Gemmology Crash Course.
This program is part of De Beers’ Building Forever initiative, which includes 12 ambitious goals to achieve by 2030 in four key pillar areas where we believe we can make a meaningful impact – leading ethical practices, partnering for thriving communities, protecting the natural world and accelerating equal opportunity. These are vitally important not only to our business, but also to our employees, partners and communities across all facets of our operations.
The STEM camps, along with scholarships for Canadian women enrolled in STEM university programs, are designed to foster interest in STEM careers among women, an area traditionally dominated by men.
With cutting edge research and innovation right at their fingertips, the girls will spend the week soaking in all the university has to offer, with a focus on the Faculty of Science and the Schulich School of Engineering. The university believes sparking a curiosity and love for science at a young age builds the foundation for a healthier tomorrow.
